❛ tousle . mess playfully with my muse’s hair .- from Zhao
𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐃 & 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐅𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 ( source. ) & @shininginyourlight
He must have spent hours in the dungeon, searching for valuable items to trade later once he was back in the village. Somehow, Ichiban managed to carry everything with him, even though it shouldn't have been possible. His inventory space is limited, but it looks like he got lucky today, and he's not going to question that.
The exit is right in front of him, but as soon as he gets close to it, a deep roar makes him turn around instantly. He knows the source of the sound before even seeing it: a dragon. And not just any dragon, but the most dangerous out of all the beasts in the realm: the Dragon of Dojima. Many have tried to fight the creature through the years, and only a few managed to come back alive. Ichiban is one of the lucky ones. To this very day, the bards still sing songs at taverns about his encounter with the dragon.
Without thinking about the consequences, Ichiban grabs the sword that mysteriously appeared in front of him, and charges towards the dragon. If he's going to die, at least he'll die a brave hero. He shouts at the dragon, but for some reason, it comes out as a murmur more than anything else. It doesn't matter, because he's so close to-
A sudden yet gentle tug on his hair pulls him from his dream, but he's still not entirely awake. Did the dragon kill him? Is he in the afterlife right now? None of the thoughts going through his mind right now are comforting. Another tug on his hair, and Ichiban shifts slightly, more aware of his surroundings than before. He catches the intruder's hand before he has the chance to touch his hair again.
❝ Huh? What? ❞ That's when he notices Zhao staring down at him, looking like he's going to burst into laughter any second. Ichiban would be embarrassed if he wasn't still tired. The urge to hide his head under the pillow is pretty intense, too. Instead of letting go of his hand, however, he intertwines their fingers, and stares at them for a little bit. Getting a good night's sleep is so much easier with Zhao around.
❝ I was having such a cool dream. I think I won against Kiryu-san! ❞ Think being the keyword, because the outcome of the dream is a little vague, and the more he thinks about it, the less confident he is in what actually happened. ❝ ... Or you woke me up right before he kicked my ass. Hey, that means you'd be a great guardian! ❞